In The Kitchen With Scrooge emphasizes the value of being prepared ahead

For years, because of a tight food budget and my frugal tendencies, I used our basic food storage items (wheat, rice, etc. in buckets), plus frozen and canned foods (from case lot sales), and our home bottled items from our garden. Also the dried apples, onions, carrots offered in #10 cans at the LDS Home Storage Center. 

When several companies started offering dried/freeze dried foods in #10 cans, I resisted for a long time because of the cost,  but finally gave in and started to buy some if it was on sale....choosing items that would otherwise not be something I could store. Thus came the desire to learn more about how to use the dried/freeze dried items for easy just add water meals as part of being prepared ahead.